A PAEDOPHILE was handed back his collection of perverted images when he was released from prison, a court heard.

Paul Stubbs, 53, was caught with 850 child porn pictures on his computer while on parole in York.

Today Stubbs, of no fixed address, wasback in jail, after pleading guilty at York Magistrates Court to possessing and making images of child pornography.

Prosecutor Helen Robinson said the files, which were on two CDs, included pictures of child bondage and hardcore sexual images.

Stubbs was at the York Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (YACRO) accommodation, in Walmgate, after being released part-way through a six-year sentence for five offences of making child porn and three indecent assaults on a girl under 14.

In court, Stubbs' solicitor, Craig Sutcliffe, said the pictures found in York dated back to before his jail term and should have been destroyed when he was sentenced in November 1999.

But he had been "provided" with them on his release from custody.

After the case, Rob Turnbull, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said Stubbs had received some property from a divorce settlement on his release, and the CDs were included in that.

Stubbs told police he had copied some of the images for his own gratification.

Pat Smith, YACRO director, said it did not give Stubbs access to a computer, but he was using his own. He did not have access to the internet.

She said: "He was supervised very closely. He did have a computer, and the images were discovered by a member of staff."

In November, 1999, Stubbs, indecently assaulted a young girl, took pictures of her and then manipulated the image on a computer.

Stubbs, formerly of St Paul's Road, Hartlepool, was jailed for six years.

His parole has now been revoked and he is serving the rest of his original jail term, while awaiting sentence on the latest offences.

It is not known who handed the images back to Stubbs.

Updated: 09:13 Saturday, March 13, 2004